The Fourth's Legacy
by AlleyCAT19
Summary: When the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself to protect the village from the nine-tailed fox, he left behind a son, Naruto. What if he had also left behind a daughter? This is the story of Haruna Namikaze, revered by many in the village as the Fourth's legacy. Told mostly in Haruna's POV. Pairings: Eventual Sasuke/Haruna. Hinted Gaara/OC and NaruHina. Slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N Hey Guys! I apologize for month hiatus, but I was busy with schoolwork and I just did not feel like writing at all over the Christmas break, even though I had planned to write. Anyway, here is the first chapter of my new fanfiction, "The Fourth's Legacy"! If you have not already read the two chapters in "Introducing the Cast", I recommend you do so, or else you will not know who Haruna Namikaze is. _

_This story takes place during the original Naruto series, and will be told mostly in Haruna's POV. It will be mostly in-canon, with some changes regarding certain characters (not stating who). It will also follow the manga more than the anime, as I do not feel it necessary to include anime-exclusive arcs in my story. _

_Now, after that long A/N, I present to you the first chapter! Please R&R!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto. All OC's except Haru Hyuga belong to me. Haru Hyuga belongs to my friend, __**nightbyday223**__. _

Chapter 1: A New Team

_Normal POV_

All of the recently-graduated academy students sat anxiously in the orientation room, anxious to officially become Genin. Even Naruto, the dead-last who had not passed the exam, had entered the room.

"What are you doing here, Naruto? This class isn't for dropouts." Shikamaru Nara said, taking notice of Naruto's presence almost immediately.

"See this? See this? Open your eyes, Shikamaru. It's a regulation headband." Naruto said, pointing triumphantly at the headband tied to his forehead.

Shikamaru sighed and left to go sit somewhere else while Naruto looked around for a place to sit. Unknown to him, a certain shy Hyuga was watching him closely, twiddling her fingers and blushing slightly.

_Naruto…You graduated after all. I'm glad,_ Hinata Hyuga thought, smiling slightly.

To Hinata's left sat her identical and younger twin sister, Haru. Despite how shy Hinata was, Haru was perhaps even shyer, not socializing with very many people outside of her sisters. Haru was also the most motherly of the twins, having raised their youngest sister Hanabi practically since she was born. Haru's shy demeanor was perhaps caused by something that happened to her in the past, but despite it, she was still very kind to those she opened up to. Her one friend, Haruna Namikaze, had graduated the year before, leaving Haru alone once more.

While Haru was lost in thought, a fight erupted between Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha, the class heartthrob. Naruto sat perched on top of the table in front of Sasuke, glaring hard at him. This gained the attention of Sasuke's many fangirls, who angrily told Naruto to stop glaring at Sasuke. One in particular caught Naruto's attention, and that was Sakura Haruno, one of the biggest Sasuke fangirls. While the fangirls attempted to get Naruto to stop glaring at Sasuke, one of their classmates accidentally bumped into Naruto from behind, causing him and Sasuke to accidentally lock lips. They let go seconds later, both making obnoxious gagging sounds.

"Naruto…you are so dead." Sakura said, cracking her knuckles.

"Hey, it was an accident!" Naruto said. His efforts to persuade Sakura not to "kill" him were futile, and he got beaten up.

Iruka entered the room a few minutes later, and began addressing the graduating students. He then went on to explain that most of the teams will be three-man squads.

_A three-man squad? _Sakura questioned in her mind.

"Well, someone has to be in Sasuke's group. I wonder who?" Ino Yamanaka asked, who was sitting right behind Sakura.

"**Cha! I'm gonna be with Sasuke, so stay away from him, you hag!" **Inner Sakura said.

_Groups of at least three….that'll only slow me down,_ Sasuke thought, frowning.

"We want each group to have a balance of strength and abilities, so that's how we set them up. I will now announce the squads." Iruka said as he began to read off the paper in his hand.

"Squad Seven will be Naruto Uzumaki, Haru Hyuga, and Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka said.

Ino and Sakura sat in their seats, sulking at not being in Sasuke's group.

_I won't be with Naruto then…_ Hinata thought, disappointed.

"Next, Squad Eight. Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame." Iruka said.

"I don't get it. What do you see in a guy like that? He's not so special." Shikamaru said, taking notice of Ino's sulking.

"You are so beyond clueless, Shikamaru. Don't you get it?" Ino asked.

"No I don't get it, because I'm not a girl." Shikamaru said.

"You're so full of yourself. Jealousy is a terrible thing. I'd hate to be on your squad." Ino said.

"Now Squad Ten. Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Sakura Haruno." Iruka said.

"Did you say something about hating to be on my squad?" Shikamaru said, smirking.

"Iruka-sensei, why does a great ninja like me have to be in the same group with a slug like Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"Sasuke had the best scores of all the graduating students. Naruto, you had the worst scores." Iruka explained.

The rest of the class laughed at Naruto. Just then, another one of the teachers came in and whispered something into Iruka's ear. Iruka looked surprised, then faced the students once more.

"There will be one more member to Squad Seven. Haruna Namikaze." Iruka said.

Sasuke perked up slightly at this.

_Haruna? Really? I haven't seen her since she graduated last year. But wait, I thought she was already on a squad, _Sasuke thought.

"After lunch, you will meet your new Jonin teachers. Until then, class dismissed." Iruka said.

_Haruna POV_

I sat on one of the benches outside of the academy, waiting for my new squad to exit the building. With me sat Akari, Sasuke's four-year old sister. She got up and ran over to Sasuke, tackling him the minute she saw him. Akari is perhaps one of the few who can get Sasuke to at least crack a smile.

"How'd it go, nii-san?" She asked, facing Sasuke.

"Well, I am on a squad with Naruto, Haru, and Haruna." He said, looking at me as he said my name. I blushed slightly.

"That's great nii-san! Haru-chan is nice, and of course so is Haruna nee-san! But I don't know about Naruto-san. What is he like?" Akari asked.

"Naruto is annoying and a loser." Sasuke said.

"Well I will reserve my judgment until I actually meet him. He can't be that bad." Akari said, not fully understanding what Sasuke had meant.

Sasuke poked her in the forehead.

"Come on, squirt. I'll take you anywhere you want to go for lunch. How does that sound?" He asked.

"Okay! How about the onigiri shop?" Akari asked.

The two siblings set off, and I couldn't help but smile as I watched them go. Akari was already becoming so much like how Sasuke used to be before the massacre, while Sasuke, even if he won't admit it, is becoming like Itachi. It's interesting how history repeats itself, even in the case of three siblings. Akari has no memories of Itachi, since she was only 3 months old when the massacre happened. It's probably better that she doesn't, otherwise she would also remember the massacre. I am glad that she naïve. Because of this, she has been able to have a happy life. Sasuke had to mature at least enough to care for Akari, and other than the times he was gone at the academy, he has been a wonderful older brother.

After reminiscing for a while, I decided to go get lunch myself, going to my favorite stir-fry place. After lunch, I headed straight back to the classroom, where Sasuke, Naruto, and Haru already were. Sasuke smiled discreetly when he saw me.

"Hello, Naruto. Long time, no see." I said politely.

"Yeah, it has been a while. Good to see you, Haruna." Naruto said, giving his usual cheeky grin.

H-hello H-Haruna-san." Haru said quietly.

"I guess our sensei is late, then?" I asked, knowing full well that our sensei, Kakashi, is notorious for being late. After all, I was already on his squad, having been his sole student for an entire year.

We sat in the classroom for at least a couple of hours. In the meantime, Naruto put one of the chalkboard erasers at the top of the door, making it so that it would fall right on Kakashi when he entered the room. Kakashi entered the room minutes after the trap had been set, and the eraser fell right on his head. Naruto laughed at the successful prank, while Sasuke and I rolled our eyes at his antics.

"My first impression of you…I don't like you." Kakashi said simply.

I sighed. Typical Kakashi….

"Meet me on the roof." Kakashi said, leaving the classroom.

We got up to the roof, where he was already waiting for us.

"Now then, I want you all to introduce yourselves. Your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams for the future." Kakashi said.

"Why don't you start, sensei?" I asked.

"Well, my name is Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate…I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future…never really thought about it. As for my hobbies, I have lots of hobbies." Kakashi said.

_All we learned was his name, _I thought, disappointed.

"Now it's your turn. You, on the right. You go first." Kakashi said, looking directly at Naruto.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant ramen in a cup, and I really like the ramen Iruka-sensei got me at the Ichiraku noodle shop, but I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water in the ramen cup. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them. My future dream is to be the greatest Hokage!" Naruto said, pumping his fists up and smiling proudly.

"Alright. Next." He said, looking straight at me.

"You already know me, sensei." I said.

"True, but they don't." He said.

"Alright. My name is Haruna Namikaze, daughter of the Fourth Hokage. I like reading and being with my friends. I hate people who think they can bully others just for the heck of it. My hobbies are training and taking walks. I don't really have a dream for the future, because I have never really thought about it." I said.

"I-I'm Haru H-Hyuga. I l-like my sisters. I h-hate jerks. M-my hobby is t-training. My dream for the future is…um…w-well I haven't given it m-much thought." Haru said quietly.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things. I like only my friends and younger sister. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and kill a certain someone." Sasuke said darkly.

I flinched, knowing he meant Itachi nii-san. Sasuke had changed so much since that horrible day, and not at all in a good way. Sure, he had grown closer to Akari, but had grown somewhat distant from me. I couldn't help but wonder if he even still cared for me. What was I thinking? I can't like him in that way…could I? I mean, we had been raised as siblings, and I am the only one who truly knows Sasuke, as opposed to those so-called fangirls. I thought I was out of my mind for having these thoughts, so I chose to ignore them.

"I hate to break it to you, but you four aren't officially Genin yet. You now must complete a survival exercise tomorrow, which will determine whether or not you are sent back to the academy. Meet at training field seven tomorrow morning. Oh, and you may want to skip breakfast, or else you'll puke." Kakashi said.

_Next morning_

The four of us met at the training grounds. For me, it was a bit nostalgic, being here again. I was on a team the year before, with the top boy and class dobe. My clueless teammates failed the exercise while I passed, and so they were sent back to the academy. I was the youngest on my team, yet I was the only one who saw the purpose of the test: teamwork. My teammates fought each other almost the entire time, instead of fighting Kakashi. Instead of sending me back as well, Kakashi decided to take me in as his sole pupil. Perhaps he did it for my father, but I will never know what his motives were behind it. So, I stayed his sole pupil and became a Chunin less than six months later. When I learned Sasuke would graduate next year, I decided that despite my status as a Chunin, I would place myself on his team. Luckily for me, I didn't have to change senseis, even though I would have done so if I had to. I didn't want any of my former classmates to know I was a Chunin, at least not at that time.

Our exercise started as soon as Kakashi explained the rules. They were the same as last year. We had three bells to take from him within the time limit. If we failed to get a bell before lunch, he would make us miss lunch. We each set off to hide somewhere, while Naruto stayed in plain sight.

_Idiot, _I thought.

We each took Kakashi on, one at a time. It didn't take long for me to get a bell from him, but we had agreed earlier that he would allow me to take a bell as a way to encourage the others. Sasuke was soon plunged underground with his head sticking out, as a victim of the headhunter jutsu. I pulled him out, while Haru stood there somewhat terrified of what to do. I knew she is capable of fighting, but she doesn't like hurting anyone she is close to. That is the kind of person she is. It was soon lunchtime, and as I was the only one who got a bell, Naruto was tied to a stump because he had attempted to eat one of the lunches. Kakashi said that he would drop all four of us from the program for our failure to work as a team, but I knew he was just saying that to get them to still work as a team. Besides, he couldn't send me back anyway. SO, Kakashi decided to give them a second chance, letting all but Naruto eat the lunches. The rest of us began eating, while Kakashi instructed us not to feed Naruto before vanishing in a puff of smoke. Sasuke sighed, and held his bento box up to Naruto after Kakashi had left.

"Here. You will need your full strength if we are to take on Kakashi," Sasuke said.

I offered up my bento box and began feeding Naruto. Just then, Kakashi came.

"You broke the rules. I hope you're ready for the punishment. Any last words?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah! The four of us are one, believe it!" Naruto said.

"The four of you are one, huh? That's your excuse? You pass." Kakashi said, calming down from his supposed rage.

I breathed a sigh of relief. They had passed….excellent. Teamwork had been established for us, and I hoped our squad would succeed. I had a new team, and I wasn't willing to lose them this time around.

_A/N My chapters keep getting longer. But, this was one of my more favorite stories to cover. _

_Next time: The Land of Waves, aka my least favorite arc from the original series. I don't know when I will have it up, but I will start it as soon as I can. _


	2. Chapter 2: The Land of Waves, Part 1

_Chapter 2: The Land of Waves, Part 1_

_A/N Hey guys! Here is the next chapter of "The Fourth's Legacy"! I am very pleased with the positive response that the last chapter had, and I hope it continues as this story progresses. I like the ideas some of you have suggested, and I am putting them in serious consideration. One of which was suggested by __**HjLostDreams,**__ who suggested I make Naruto stronger. I plan on making Naruto stronger, but not for a while. Actually, I plan on him being about the same as Haruna. For those of you who are unfamiliar with who Haruna is, I have another fanfiction titled "Introducing the Cast", which explains who Haruna is and gives her background with Sasuke. So if you are confused, please read that fanfiction. Also, for more information on Haru Hyuga, please read my friend __**nightbyday223**__'s fanfiction, "The Falen Hyuga". _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I only own my OC's, minus Haru Hyuga._

_Haruna's POV_

The four of us were out in the village, doing our latest mission. It was the infamous "capture Tora the cat" mission, a mission I did when I first became a Genin. Even though the cat was feisty, the poor thing had reason to be, as the others found out.

Naruto immediately tackled Tora, who retaliated by scratching him all over. After watching Tora attack Naruto, I pried the cat off of him and gave him to Haru, who immediately calmed him down but scratching him behind the ears. The mission was a success, and we gave to cat to the Fire Daimyo's wife, who immediately began squeezing the poor thing to death. With that sort of affection, I don't blame the cat for wanting to get away from her. Sandaime-sama then listed other available D-Rank missions, which included babysitting and community service. Naruto expressed interest in wanting a "real" challenge, so Sandaime-sama decided to give us a simple C-Rank escort mission to the Land of Waves. Our client, an intoxicated middle-aged man, walked in.

"These kids are my bodyguards? You gotta be kidding me." The client, Tazuna, said.

Naruto was about ready to pound the guy when Kakashi stopped him.

"Naruto, we can't harm the client." Kakashi said simply.

We took off on the mission early the next morning. Before we left, we were greeted by Hanabi and Akari, who came to see us off.

"Please be careful, nii-san." Akari said.

Sasuke poked her in the forehead.

"I will be careful. You know me. I'll be back before you know it." Sasuke said.

The girls then went over to Hiashi, who had also come to see us off. Haru seemed uneasy with him there, and I had no idea why. Sure, Hiashi is strict, but I didn't think he was a bad person. After losing his wife seven years ago, he distanced himself from everyone he knew. I simply ignored Haru's slight hostility toward her father, knowing we had to leave for our mission.

Well, it didn't take too long for the mission to quickly go south. We were soon attacked by two ninjas from the Mist, known as the Demon Brothers. I knew then that something was amiss. We wouldn't be attacked by anyone their level on a C-Rank mission. It was supposed to be a simple escort mission. After tying the Demon Brothers to a tree and hopping on a boat, Kakashi confronted Tazuna on the exact mission details.

"There is a man who wants me dead. His name is Gato." Tazuna said.

"You mean Gato, of Gato Shipping and Transport?" Kakashi asked, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Yes. While he is a businessman, he is also a ruthless criminal who hires mercenaries to do his dirty work. A year ago, Gato set his sights on the Land of Waves, wanting to take us over. He pretended to do it in a business settlement, but it didn't take long for the situation to turn violent. The only thing standing in his way of total control over the Land of Waves is the bridge." Tazuna explained.

"I see…so since you are the bridge builder, you pose a threat to Gato." I said.

"The ninja who attacked us were working for Gato." Tazuna said.

"If you were a target of a ruthless thug with ninja at his disposal, why didn't you tell us when you asked for our help?" Kakashi asked.

"The Land of Waves is a poor land, and I have no money to pay for higher-ranked bodyguards. But if you turn away from me now, I'm as good as dead." Tazuna said sadly.

"Very well. We will continue to protect you, at least until you return to your country." Kakashi said.

We soon arrived at the Land of Waves, and were attacked once more by another Mist ninja. This one, however, was Zabuza Momochi, a ninja who had deflected from the Mist many years ago after a failed Coup d'état. Kakashi was forced to unveil his concealed Sharingan eye, and took on Zabuza head-on. After a fierce battle, Kakashi had Zabuza in his clutches, until Zabuza turned the tides on Kakashi, forcing us to step in. I began attacking him with earth-style ninjutsu, while Naruto attacked with his Shadow Clones. Just when it looked like we would beat Zabuza, a hunter-nin swooped in, throwing senbon needles directly at Zabuza. They seemingly killed him immediately.

"I must now go and dispose of the body." The hunter-nin said, taking the body and leaving.

We soon arrived at Tazuna's house, where we met his daughter Tsunami and eight-year-old grandson Inari. Tsunami was nice, but Inari seemed so sad. I could tell right away that he had suffered a loss, probably his father. Even while sitting comfortably in Tazuna's home, I felt uneasy about what had just happened. I knew full well that hunter-nins typically dispose of the bodies of dangerous missing-nins immediately after killing them, so the fact that that hunter-nin did not do so bothered me. I could tell Kakashi was troubled as well, while Sasuke, Naruto, and Haru believed Zabuza was really dead. Perhaps that hunter-nin was an ally of Zabuza?

A few days later, Kakashi told the others exactly what I had been thinking of, shocking all three of them. Since we knew right then that Zabuza would be returning for "Round 2", Kakashi wanted us to be prepared. He taught the others the tree-walking exercise while I simply watched, having learned it the year before. Haru, unsurprisingly, was the first of the three to get up to the top of the tree, already having fine-tuned chakra control. Sasuke and Naruto, on the other hand, were struggling to get to the top of the tree. I decided to have some fun with them by walking up the tree and hanging upside down from one of the strongest branches. The two boys continued trying the rest of that night, until Sasuke finally asked me what the secret was to walking up the tree. I gave him the secret, and he was soon walking up the tree like a pro. Naruto learned the secret as well, ending the exercise.

Naruto went out by himself the next day to train, and he came back smiling for some strange reason. I then saw a rather peculiar sight: a weasel with a pair of Sharingan. I knew it was a signal from Itachi, and so I took the weasel and went out to find him, eager to see him after four years. I finally spotted him, henged, up in a very tall tree.

"You called?" I asked, looking up to where he was.

"Is it a crime to call family?" Itachi asked in return, jumping down from the tree.

"No. Just curious is all. It's been a while." I said, smiling.

"Indeed it has. How are they?" He asked, wondering about Sasuke and Akari.

"Sasuke is…okay I guess. He is so distant now, though. Not like how he used to be. Akari is a little ball of energy who reminds me so much of how Sasuke used to be. She is also starting to look a lot like your mother. "I said.

"I see. So he is following the path I laid out for him." Itachi said.

"I guess. Also, you promised last time we saw one another that you would explain the real reason you killed you clan." I said. "Of course." He said, explaining.

I widened my eyes in disbelief. How could Fugaku order a coup d'état? And the elders, how could they order Itachi to kill his own family? I was unable to say anything at that moment. I was simply frozen in place. I know that Itachi must have hid the truth from Sasuke because he was so young at the time, but Sasuke not knowing has torn the once-close brothers apart. Now, all Sasuke wants is to avenge his clan by killing Itachi.

"Sorry Haruna, but I have to go now." Itachi said, turning to leave.

"Alright. See you again." I said.

I was still upset by the whole thing hours later, and I didn't even notice that I became irritable as well. Sasuke confronted me about it. Knowing that Itachi wouldn't want me to spill the beans, I lied to Sasuke, saying I just got upset at something random and stupid, and that it was nothing to worry about. He left me alone, accepting that reason, but not before catching me off-guard by nonchalantly asking me on a date. I accepted, and we agreed to a date after we returned from this mission.

It wasn't long after that that Kakashi called us over to the bridge. Zabuza and the hunter-nin were back.

_A/N Cliffhanger! Sorry this chapter was shorter than my other ones, but I plan on a bit more action next chapter, which will conclude the Land of Waves Arc. _

_Also, I leave you guys with a question regarding Zabuza and Haku. Of the two, which one would you like to live? I already have a plan, but sadly, I will not spare both of them. I just want to hear your opinions on the two of them. _

_Next chapter should be uploaded within the next few days, maybe even later today, if I feel like writing more ;) Big surprises in store!_

_Also, who liked seeing Itachi make an appearance? This isn't the last time that he and Haruna will be talking like this. _

_For those interested in what Haruna looks like, I have a DeviantArt account. The link to it is in my bio. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Land of Waves, Part 2**

_A/N Hey guys! I know I am very slow in my updates, but simply put, I have been very busy with school and other things. I moved over the summer, and we are still settling in. I will try to get back to updating, but since I am a senior now, I may not have much of a chance to update as often as I would like to._

_This chapter will answer the question I had given you guys last chapter. Also, I realize that I am not the best at writing fight scenes, so I apologize in advance for not writing the best fighting scenes. I will do my best, though. And in the next couple of chapters, this story will be put on a temporary hiatus so I can write a short story on three new characters that will be introduced in the Chunin Exam Arc. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights to Naruto characters and basic plot go to Masashi Kishimoto. I own all OC's minus Haru Hyuga._

_Haruna's POV_

The four of us rushed over to the bridge, ready to fight. Zabuza and the hunter-nin were there, also in a battle stance. The entire atmosphere was so tense it was almost suffocating. Kakashi had me over at his side to protect the client, while Haru, Naruto, and Sasuke face off against the hunter-nin. The hunter-nin soon sealed them all inside an ice dome he created, leaving Kakashi and I to fight Zabuza.

I had my hands out, ready to make handsigns for any sort of jutsu. I stood in a protective stance in front of Tazuna. Zabuza lunged at me almost immediately, but I stopped him by shooting a fireball at him. He then covered the area with his mist jutsu, making it nearly impossible to see anything. Kakashi attacked Zabuza, luring him away from me. Kakashi then revealed his hidden Sharingan and used it to help him detect Zabuza's movements. I watched as Kakashi fought Zabuza.

While Kakashi and Zabuza were fighting, I glanced over at the ice dome, which had shattered. I also saw Naruto, who seemed to have gone berserk, Haru, whose ears looked wolf-like, and Sasuke, who lay still on the ground. My eyes widened in horror. Tazuna saw the look on my face and urged me to go over to him.

"I can't leave you, Tazuna-san." I said.

"You will still be doing your job of protecting me if you bring me with you." He reasoned.

I agreed, and we went over to Sasuke. I gathered him in my arms. There were senbon needles poking out all over his entire body. Several of the spots had dried or mostly-dried blood. I wanted to cry, for it was right then that I realized I had fallen in love with Sasuke. After so long of denying those feelings, it was only then that I truly accepted them.

"Go ahead and cry, Haruna. You don't have to hold back your tears." Tazuna said.

"The 25th rule of Shinobi conduct says that no matter what happens, a ninja m-must never show their emotions." I said, with tears already streaming down my face.

I held Sasuke's body a little longer before gently putting him down. I stared angrily at the hunter-nin, revealed to be named Haku. Tears were pouring down my face, and Naruto was already fighting him. Just then, I felt a strange power course through my body. I suddenly felt stronger, and I started to attack Zabuza instead of Haku, deciding to let Naruto handle him. I attacked furiously, and before I knew it, I had dealt a fatal blow to Zabuza.

"A Rinnegan user…I'm glad I got to witness…such power…" Zabuza said, breathing his last.

My eyes widened. The Rinnegan? I had heard of it before, but never knew I was capable of awakening it. Naruto by then had stopped attacking Haku, and Haku was staring at Zabuza's dead body in horror. He looked as if he was about to faint. He also turned his attention to Naruto.

"I have no reason to live now. Please…end me, Naruto." He begged.

"No! Even though I can't forgive you for what you did, I know you don't deserve death." Naruto said.

"You just said you can't forgive me. So end me." Haku said.

"Why do you want to die so badly? That's depressing." I said.

Haku's eyes widened, and he even smiled a little.

"It's depressing, huh? Well, Zabuza was my only reason to live." Haku said.

Haru went over to Haku.

"T-then find another r-reason…" She said.

"I'm sure if you come with us voluntarily, Lord Third will allow you to join our village. Kekkei Genkai wielders are accepted there." I said.

"Very well, then. I will come with you." Haku said.

Just as we were about to leave, Gato showed up with dozens of hired mercenaries. He clearly was not going to allow Tazuna to get away scot-free.

"Zabuza may be dead, but don't think that I am going to allow that bridge builder to live!" Gato said.

We all got into a fighting position. I had Tazuna behind me. Haku was in front of me right next to Kakashi, Haru was nearest to me, and Naruto was with Haku and Kakashi. I could feel chakra rushing to my new Rinnegan-enhanced eyes, but I couldn't stop the flow. I had absolutely no control of what happened, so I hoped that I wouldn't accidentally hurt or kill the wrong person. I was absolutely terrified.

Haku immediately began attacking with ice-style jutsus, while Naruto attacked using Shadow Clones. I did the handsigns for the Uchiha Great Fireball Jutsu and aimed it right at the mercenaries coming toward us. It burned some on contact, but it wasn't slowing them down in the least. Just when it seemed like we were going to lose, Haku did some ice-style jutsu that killed most of the men at once. There were just a small handful of guys now, and they were all clustered around Gato. Kakashi began taking them out with his Chidori. Gato was soon the only one left standing.

"You've lost, Gato." Kakashi said calmly.

"N-no! I can't lose!" Gato shouted, looking terrified.

"Farewell." Kakashi said. I looked away as he delivered the blow to kill Gato.

The Land of Waves was now free…but at what cost? Sasuke was dead….I didn't hate Haku, knowing that he did what he felt was right in the given situation. Haku came over to me a put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry about your friend. He'll be fine. Actually, he should be waking up soon." Haku said.

"Huh? But…didn't you kill him?" I asked.

"I didn't. I couldn't bring myself to do that. Besides, I never intended to kill him. I wanted you to believe he was dead so you would come at me in anger." Haku explained.

"I see…" I said.

I went over to Sasuke and felt for a pulse. Sure enough, there was one. I held him and waited for him to wake up. His eyes slowly fluttered open moments later.

"You're okay!" I said, hugging him.

"Haruna, you're crushing me…."Sasuke said.

"Oh..sorry…" I said, releasing him.

Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, Haru, Haku, and I left the Land of Waves a few days later after burying Zabuza. We left his sword at his grave. I apologized to Haku over and over for killing Zabuza, and each time Haku simply smiled. I think he was just glad to have friends.

When we returned to Konoha, Lord Third accepted Haku with open arms, and as the last of the Yuki clan of the Land of Water, Haku became the heir and would officially become "clan head" when he turned 18. At Haru's suggestion, he moved into the Hyuga compound and became Haru's "older brother". He was given the rank of Genin, and would be allowed to participate in the upcoming Chunin Exams. I smiled a bit, trying to imagine Naruto's face when he would learn about the Chunin Exams. I had a feeling it would be entertaining, but I had no idea what was going to happen...

_A/N Land of Waves Arc completed! That took a while, and I apologize for that. I will try to update more, as I am getting a bit more free time lately. _

_Now, I would like to address what happened in this chapter that may confuse some of you. The Rinnegan is probably the biggest one. I know it's confusing right now, but I promise I will explain how Haruna was able to awaken the Rinnegan in a later chapter. I also promise not to overpower her too much (within reason) because of this new ability. _

_Next chapter, I am introducing a new OC, created by my friend nightbyday223. The character's name is Reiko Nara, and she is Shikamaru's older sister. She knows and is best friends with Itachi, and she takes care of Sasuke and Akari in Itachi's stead. Reiko won't have a huge part really, but she will be there once in a while. Also, she and Itachi are the same age. _

_Next Chapter: Chunin Exams, Part 1._


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